Are You An Ethical Tourist?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 มิ.ย. 2024
- Whether positively or negatively, the tourism industry affects us all. Let's explore the many ethical dilemmas that may be found in one's pursuit of wanderlust.
Introduction - 0:00
Ethical Dilemmas of Tourism - 2:38
Enter: The Untourist - 10:26
Radicalising Travel - 12:19
Thumbnail Art: Viktor Vasnetsov
Support me on Patreon!
/ saintdrew
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outro music: Cedar Womb by joe zempel
TH-cam: / @joezempel
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3vVDn...
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Sources & Resources:
Ethical Tourism: Who Benefits? By Tiffany Jenkins
Behind the Smile: The Working Lives of Caribbean Tourism by George Gmelch
wttc.org/research/economic-im...
www.cnbc.com/2017/12/07/boein...
www.humanrights-in-tourism.ne...
news.trust.org/item/201911201...
www.greenleft.org.au/content/...
www.theelephant.info/op-eds/2...
www.business-humanrights.org/...
Sincerest apologies for the editing mistake at 10:54🙏🏽 otherwise, hope you all enjoyed the video!
Jumpscared my ass.
It scared the shit out of me ngl
jeez that shit was creepy and i first thought it was some kind of style choice. great jumpscare indeed.
Nice the CC can fill the blank.
it got me paying attention as i was dozing off while drawing tbh
It's really such a shame that AIRBNB has been ruined by the property investors. It used to be a nice way to imerse yourself in s place and give your money to a local rather than a random hotel.
It's honestly funny how Airbnb has gotten so bad that it makes the hotel industry look good and ethical in comparison(hotel industry is still bad in case that wasn't obvious)
I still don't get why it's called bnb. Real bnbs give you breakfast
True. At least you'd hope the hotels would improve, but no, not really.
@@TheMysteryDriverisn't the bed and breakfast made of air?
Such immersive/authentic options existed before and still do, but they aren't easy to find, which AirBnB solved indeed really well
I grew up in a tourist trap and learned to hate them pretty quickly, but as an adult who travels that makes it easy to remember that the people in these quaint little villages are people too. Be nice, be considerate, and always remember that you are a guest.
If it wasn't the same 5 villages of any type it would be much more bearable.
We have one campground and maybe 50 beeds among 5k residents and I could easily bare more people visiting but less than 5km up and 20km downstream there are towns with a much worse ratio (20/80 allredy is uncomfortable, not to mention things like Mediterranean islands or thise in the Pacific)
I live on one now, often one so expensive that it's employees cannot afford to live there. I live in my car to afford the rest of the lifestyle it affords me. All because people care more about the real estate prices than the employees trying to live there and contribute long term.
I currently live in a tourist trap and have lived close to one before. tourists make the worst customers, especially when they go to normal stores that aren't part of the theme park or resort. This is Walmart, not Disney world. We don't bend over backwards to make your day perfect. It's amazing how people dehumanize locals when they travel.
Torons = Morons + Tourists
Especially in towns with tourism as their main industry, visitors there are under the impression that - like Disney Land - all of this exists _for them_. They confuse hospitality for entitlement.
Whenever we went to visit family and stay with aunts and uncles, our parents always sat us down and gave us this speech: "Hospitality is a two-way thing, not a one-way thing. The role of the courteous and humble guest contributes as much to the visit as that of the gracious host. "
Which translates to "I know you don't pick up your towels or offer to wash the dishes at home but you better G.D. do it while you're here" lol
But it's a lesson I take with me whenever I travel.
I remember very vividly two American women walking down the street when I was coming from school, hitting me over the head with a flower bouquet, and not even turning their heads to apologize. I've seen tourists take pictures of people living their lives without their consent, like we are zoo animals, like our way of life is somehow so special and different and exotic. I've seen the city become more and more design to appeal to tourist's sensitivities instead of our own. The rents become unlivable because of gentrification. Everything gets more and more expensive. And while tourists enjoy the wonders of travel, we struggle with child labour, homelessness, lack of access to water and food, and they just don't see it because they stick to the "aesthetic" parts of the city, and those that do see it rarely ever care. It's like they are hitting all of us with that metaphorical flower bouquet. Sometimes I don't think they even see us as people...
You know they don't see us as people. We're there for their entertainment and if they move there they say terrible comments such as how it would be better if we didn't exist. As the years go by you see their vision become reality and see less and less of your kin folk. And the remaining kin folk you do see are impoverished and broken.
Sigh,
Sigh,
Sigh!!!
Ironically, as am American who grew up in a touristy city (Hollywood) I would frequently notice typically Asian tourists taking pictures of me and other stereotypical California American girls (tall and blonde). Objectification by tourists can affect anyone, so I always grew up very aware of how to act when traveling as to not be like all the tourists I’d experienced
Your culture is exotic to most people on Earth.
@@xaviercopeland2789 who cares? doesnt make too much of a difference
I think it can someone make a difference. I was on holiday in a country that does Halloween in a big way (not the US or UK), unlike my own culture. There were loads of families out late with kids in adorable costumes, and it was tempting to take pictures. But a) those are other people’s children, not a public spectacle, and b) it wouldn’t be fair for me to create the feeling in these kids that they are a commodity in their own homes. With adults it may be different, especially if you have the language skills to ask first ( “Your clothing looks wonderful. Is it for a special occasion? May I take a photo so I can remember it?”) but I’ma guest in their city and it felt important to be polite.
As someone who was visibly not of the same ethnicity as them, if anything I was the spectacle! A few people started but no one took photos of me.
"you have to accept all the cookies" is an incredibly succinct way of conveying peoples' passive participation in oppressive systems because they're not given many other real alternatives. I really want to remember that one
It extends beyond government too. It boggles my mind when I see people not just accept, but aggressively defend things like the US healthcare system, car dependent cities, and jobs paying nowhere near a livable wage. Like, these have proven to be objectively broken, if not total failures for which they can't even provide a valid defense, and yet they reject any alternatives, and shame and ridicule those who attempt to suggest some.
Bet they're the same people who use every chance when it's their turn to complain about these problems affecting THEM, and express criticism and distrust in their government.
6:39 Thank you for bringing that up! I’m from Greece, and the situation with hyper tourism is very infuriating. Our country has basically become a giant playground for all manners of foreign visitors that will come here, visit the same three or four famous landmarks, go to the same three or four famous islands and are basically just trying to party as hard as they can, ignoring the local way of life or the local culture. Places like Santorini or more infamously Mykonos, don’t even really feel “Greek” anymore. They are just a caricature of what a tourist believes “Greece” is. Wage slavery is just the tip of the iceberg. I remember a case from that summer, where in one Greek island, they couldn’t find a house for the new schoolteacher, since almost all houses are rooms-to-let!
The situation is more serious with the local “beach mafia” as I’ll call them: businessmen that create shops in beaches (beach bars and restaurants) and they would fill the beach in front with deck chairs and umbrellas. Now, Greek law says that in such cases, 50% of the beach is reserved for use of the shop, and the rest is free for anyone else to use. Unfortunately, most businesses just ignore that and fill the entire beachfront with chairs and umbrellas (that you need to pay to use) and are often driving away locals that want to go the beach. In another case, a beach bar owner had his security men throw an elderly couple off the beach, despite the fact that they were using the “free” part of it. I think the old gentleman hurt his arm in the process and had to be hospitalized.
Thankfully, among other things, a new social movement arose against such practices, the “Towel Movement” (Κίνημα της Πετσέτας) where people would occupy beaches with their towels and drive off the big businesses. There were even some confrontations between them and the police.
All in all, things in Greece are pretty shit right now. Prices to travel in certain regions of the country are so high, that many local people that may have families there cannot visit them as often. As we say over here: “Greece is a country where everyone has fun except for the Greeks”. All in all, I hope “untourism” becomes more of a thing, and replace all that bullshit that goes on.
That beach example sounds very reminiscent of the situation in Jamaica. Business owners everywhere gobbling up and privatizing the commons however they can
@@Andrewism yea,it's basically like that.The right to roam has been almost completely trampled over by private interests.
That all sou ds horrible. To solve it, that seems like a failure of the government. Tourists themselves can't actually fix local issues.
Know the feeling, in Cornwall whole small village’s have become nothing but air b&bs, and I’ve heard horror stories of entire city centres becoming air b&bs in tourism heavy city’s. I really think governments need to step up and bring in legal restraint’s to air b&bs and the amount of property they can hold, it’s getting ridicules
I hate to read it. I love Greece. My girlfriend was from Athens. And I try to learn a bit of Greek as well (at least I can read it 😂). But yeah, same things in the Netherlands, but than 100x worse in Greece. And after being exploited by EU banks and the drop in living standards, it's a gorgeous country with great people in a pretty shit situation...
"We have ceased to be what we are; we are becoming what we seem" oh holy crap. and it's true of so many of us.
Italy was manufactured by it's gov in like the 50s. It's not a new phenomenon and sometimes it's used to create a cultural identity
Sharing my thoughts as a Cook Islander living in NZ. I think colonial perspectives on land, and exchange also maintain a blindness/ignorance on the part of the tourists. In order to remain a tourist destination, these nations are halted or denied other means of supporting themselves. Some of this is wanted, I don't think anyone in raro wants us to start setting up factories, but the lack of industrialisation, and the reliance on imports, is what allows these places to remain a tourist destination. However, unlike material goods and exchange, its much harder for these nations to barter and leverage what they are offering.
Part of travelling means recognising your presence as a tourist is part of that exchange. Just as other nations might export dairy, or building materials, or electronic goods, tourist destinations are exporting experience of their land and culture. You being there means at some point, the host nation made the decision (or was driven towards that decision) to not produce those other exports, or diversify their economy in other ways. The hotel you are staying at could have been a farm, or a water-treatment facility, or housing for locals.
I live in Bermuda- THANK YOU for this comment. Nailed the fuk out of it.
This is a really good point!
This! It's so easy for it to be a catch-22 when you look at nations that have been industrialized to death, like Sumatra and Borneo. I feel the key is to ensure the local communities are the ones holding the economic power, whether it be based in tourism, indistry, tech, etc. This is vital for so many reasons, not least of which including social justice and environmental conservation (they basically go hand-in-hand anyway).
@Sleipnirseight I guess it's time to seize the means of production. Who knew capitalism would encourage exploitation of those with the least amount of capital around the world.
Everytime I hear someone bring up tourism to diversify the economy I grown internally.
I always say Trinis are truly blessed to not have to put up with an influx of tourists upon which we'd be economically dependent. Just imagining our landmarks overrun with disrespectful visitors makes my skin crawl
@@Andrewism I am curious about how it is during Carnaval. Is there an influx of tourists then, or is it mostly local? An American, I went to T&T in April of 1983 or so and it was lovely. I went with a Trini expat and stayed with his family and we were just Soca fans together, meeting everyone we could, seeing everyone perform that we could.
@@ginkgobilobatreeCarnival always brings in a large number of tourists. There aren’t any official statistics (that I’m aware of) which show how they’re divided but they tend to be members of the diaspora, friends of the diaspora and interested persons. The problem that we face with carnival as well is that the commodified parts of it are the ones that are packed to capacity. The traditional events have been dwindling in size for years, but there seems to be a growing interest in some of them (due in part to increased youth participation and engagement.
Aren't groan & grown different words?
@spaghettiisyummy.3623 is this really all you got from this comment dude?
I try to make it a point to give my money to the locals, going to their businesses and attempting to live among them. I don't care to have the bougiest experience when I travel, and the last thing I want to do is go into someone else's home and ruin something. I want to live as the locals do, so long as they'll have me. As a backpacker, thank you for this video.
Stingy backpackers are one of my pet peeves. When they are determined to pay the same as a local or give out endlessly about being overcharged for something. First, its small change to you, let it go. Second, your on holiday, go spend you money and have fun!
@@AlG214people having a problem with how other people live their lives when it has no effect on them is one of my pet peeves, lol. There’s certainly a line, but OP doesn’t seem near it. What’s wrong with paying the same for anything as a local?
@@AlG214this is an interesting take. I understand the tourist tax for areas that are catered to tourism. I lived in nyc and was able to access certain spaces for free because I was a resident. My taxes and money in general went directly to the local economy.
And as someone who travels for long periods of time, not necessarily on holiday, I’m aware of the restaurants with local and tourist menus (usually their food is… not great, so I avoid in general), venues and parks with different prices for residents. Again, I get it… for smaller nations, a lot of money for tourism does not reach the local economy, so people try to capitalize when possible. Tourist pay the tax for ease and convenience in other countries, and many locals can’t afford to live in tourist areas.
Being able to travel is a privilege and comes with alot of assumptions. With that said, I understand the frustration and exhaustion in feeling singled-out and up-charged due to your nationality and assumed ignorance of the culture and local economy. There are certain situations that are acts of extortion and scams. So I think it’s contextual.
At the end of the day tho, connecting with communities, having respect and knowledge tends to decrease the chances of those types of interactions.
@@5hirtandtieler Sorry, reading back, my post came across as more shady towards the OP than intended. I was actually agreeing with her and adding to it as she said "I try to make it a point to give my money to the locals". I was talking about backpackers who seem to do everything in their power to give as little as possible to the locals.
@ariesmry Also to make it clear, this only really applies when rich people travel in poor countries. When you go to say, India, you are getting everything for a fraction of what you would pay in the EU/US, so why argue about a few cents difference?
@@AlG214 Context is a funny thing - in that light I can see what you were originally trying to say. In that case I agree! I’m glad you clarified :)
During the pandemic, in a tourism-focused Eastern European capital city, a whole host of people had to sell their homes in the middle of the city and move to the outskirts because it was too costly for them. A lot of these homes have been bought up by companies that work with AirBnB, Booking, and other short-term rental sites. Literally watched so many places around me get snatched up (and we're considering leaving ourselves once we can find another pet-friendly rental).
And it was kind of miserable before that happened: You can barely walk through the pedestrian areas without having to yell at a tourist group to get out of the way (and there's, like, 10 or more 30+ people tourist groups being led around at any given time, just standing in the way so that they can learn about this plaque to Mozart). There's nothing except dozens of souvenir shops (which I have no idea how they *all* survived during the pandemic other than the fact they have to be money laundering schemes), convenience marts, and restaurants. The nearest grocery store is designed primarily for tourists, and everything else so so far away. Bars upon bars and constant shouting and fights in the evening. Disruptive and misogynist stag-dos constantly harassing local women, particularly after they've gotten off the mobile party beer-cart. All those absolutely ridiculous tourist buses taking up all the walking spaces. Being yelled at by (mostly) British and French tourists for "getting in the way" and "ruining their picture" while I'm just trying to *go to work*. And all of the trash and broken bottles everywhere, especially in the morning after all the tourists have gone partying.
Hell, the fact that the city has basically crowded tourists into *one* area and not making people engage in the whole of the city.
It's so tiring all the time, I swear.
Prague?
@@raphaelbosco8333my thoughts exactly
Which city? Budapest?
That's so awful! To be fair, British and French people are still a-holes even when you're a tourist visiting _their_ country lol
This. Ever since I was a kid, I always felt so ashamed and privileged when I travelled. Thanks for addressing this
this
Yeah. Traveling can be a real source of anxiety for me due to the issues highlighted in this video, which can end up defeating the purpose of traveling in the first place. And that’s on top of trying to keep my depression from ruining the experience.
Same here...
ashamed of what? going places?
I feel the same way unfortunately :(
I had one classic American style “vacation” in my life, mom worked hard for me and siblings, it was a cruise to Bahamas.
I couldn’t stand it. Rich, rude drunk people on a boat, constantly overindulging, no desire to meet people or explore and learn, just stay at the “inclusive experience” and “cute authentic” tourist traps, plus many were outright hostile to ship staff and locals.
My mom also said something I’ll never forget.
*“I wonder if all these YT folks (on the ship with us) think these brothers and sisters are down here with a whole ahh country just to serve them”*
And now after this video and looking back, I really do think that. Look at Jamaicans not accessing their own beaches, Haiti is in crisis, Cuba is technologically 40 years behind, Puerto Ricans not having say over their own land, it goes on.
Hopefully this will change
Im an unethical tourist, I have laser eyes and a Hawaiian button up shirt
don't forget the fanny pack and disposable camera
@@Andrewism Okay I do have a fanny pack but thats because I put my diabetic supplies in there... No no no Im type 1 diabetic XD
Hello! So I'm Filipino but I moved to New Zealand when I was 12 years old and have been living here since. I've visited the Philippines only twice since I had migrated (I'm 25 now), the most recent trip being this June-July.
I was basically at the mercy of my family's plans. I didn't mind where we went, I was just excited to go. I had no expectations, aside from knowing how busy it was going to be as everyone involved was keen on doing as many 'touristy' things as much as possible.
I had lived a pretty 'sheltered' life in the Philippines, and coupled with the fact that I had lived in a predominantly white country, it was inevitable that I would be somewhat out of touch with my own culture. But visiting all these touristy destinations made me realize just how diverse the country was, which I'm really ashamed to have only just realized when I saw it with my own eyes.
When migrants conjure up an image of the homeland, I believe that, especially those who were closer to the 'majority' of the country, they think of the imagined national identity that the country itself tries to put forward. The best anecdote I can use is when we were in this remote town and we stopped for lunch. They had 'sinigang', which if you ask a Filipino is one of the most well-known dish of our country, but it tasted nothing like what I had grown up with. Because it was the local's own version of sinigang. But I wouldn't have known that if I had not visited the town. I think that stood out to me as a moment where I realized that this homogenized imagined idea I had of my homeland is false and completely constructed.
I think its a bit of a uniquely immigrant-returning-to-the-homeland experience, this intersection of being marginalized in your migrated country, while not feeling quite at home at your own birthplace because everyone sees you as a 'tourist', and all the power-dynamics that come with it. Obviously there's the fact that I'm a priviliged visitor of these places but as a Tagalog speaker, I belong to the most represented ethnic group of the Phillipines, and its such a unqiuely strange feeling to leave your migrated country to find yourself being like..the dominant hegemony in your birthcountry. I had local tourguides be sad that there were less and less kids speaking their local language and more and more speaking Tagalog or English because well... that's what you need to get a job in their town when tourists come.
I hope this makes sense. I was gonna delete the entire thing but i might as well post in case someone found it interesting.
EDIT: I can't believe that I forgot to say, but visiting all these places made me fall in love with the country and now I wanna live there for a bit. I talked as much as I could to the local tour guides, their lives were just so fascinating.
thank you for posting. i’ve never really thought of this, even though my situation is a bit similar to yours
Filipino here who never left but has travelled a little extensively. I appreciate you sharing your perspective.
As someone with a weak passport, international travel itself is prohibitive for me and others like me, on top of the costs involved. I at least have the privilege to financially afford travel, I am thankful for it. But I think free movement that is also ethical and sustainable would be a welcome change.
On the bright side, many of us do have history, culture and nature in our backyards (so to speak) that we may have never explored, so that might be a more affordable, accessible option that also is less impactful on the environment. Travel local just like you shop local, I guess?
Yes!!! Local travel is wonderful. I can't really afford international travel but I love going to the local museums and landmarks and all that.
But 4 hr flights instead of 2 month boat ride lmao. I'd be down for the boat ride
My Mexican husband can not visit the us because he’s married to me.
He has to be a citizen to set foot in the us.
@@FernandoTorrera I'm a Mexican too and can confirm. Getting a VISA is jumping through hoops and after months of wait they can still deny it to you for no reason lol
I used to live in Moscow and it would be cheaper and easier to fly to Europe or Thailand than to many beautiful parts of Russia. Consumerism sucks but it's also not very fun when you can't visit a place unless you know someone who can navigate this particular wilderness, and even proper accomodations might have a privy outside
One easy way to change the way you travel in privileged areas - doesn't work so well in "tourism colonies" - is through the various "volunteering for food and a roof over head" deals you can find on workaway, helpx and the like. A few years ago I travelled for 6 months staying in a place 1 month at a time, truly meeting people, learning languages and local spots, and actually helping! I don't think I could go back to snapping pictures any more.
thank you! this was very helpful and is exactly the kind of experience i've wanted to have with travel. i had no idea this stuff existed ❤ you're a lifesaver fr
I have a friend who is a traveling nurse all over the world. She has some crazy adventures all while helping people. I think this is the idea to have.
I am Greek and what terrifies me the most is how many ignore that we are doing everything you said. We support sex tourism for the wealthy. It is that classic line not my country.
My friend yes in your country. We are one of those countries that imperialists attack with debt imperialism.
As one politician said and lost him his election "belong to the west". He meant that we are Europeans but the literal interpretation of the phrase has ringed true for something over 2 centuries.
The closest thing this country had to freedom when after junta we got rid of the king. The only Greek "worker" to ever receive a big compensation for being fired.
I will not pretend I am an angel. I have participated in the tourism thing within my own country. Once because I felt dirty.
Many Greeks especially leftists one go for open camping. I am incapable of of doing that for some reasons, but of late I tried to only go to place in which I either knew people or my friends had a home. Let alone how cheaper it is, it feels better to go to places and not be a complete stranger. I am trans so it actually feels safer as well.
I live in a tourist town. On a typical weekend or town of 300-400 can double on size during shopping hours. During special events we are outnumbered by far. A lot of effort goes into the locals trying to cordon our private spaces off from the public facing spaces. Some of that is for our mental health, and privacy. Some is environmental. So on one side it is advantageous to locals to trod the established paths. "Stay on trail" and all that. But at the same time, going to resorts and never actually experiencing the culture and people that live in a place is really not the point of travel. In order for travel to actually break down barriers between people, we cannot go to the disnified versions we pay the wealthy capitalists for. We need to have the freedom to explore, within set limits. Yaya nuance. Nothing is simple, Yada Yada Yada.
People don't want to stop flying unfortunately yet that is a major problem for the world. We know about climate change but people don't to want to minimize plane traffic or military traffic.
Yada
Took a class in undergrad called the Anthropology of Tourism. Talked about everything you mentioned. One of the films we watched that has stuck with me is called Cannibal Tours. It's on YT. Takes place in Papua New Guinea and really highlights the exploitative practices of tourism, especially by the country's former imperial oppressors.
Also been to Seychelles. I went after I took that class, so I did a lot to avoid being a bad guest but also did a lot to observe and appreciate the cultures I found
Great video!
Hi, this is so interesting. Could you share some names of books or papers that you have used to study? I would be very interested in reading something about this topic :)
@@gorwew Oh man, it's been like 10 years... Sally Ness was the professor, but I don't see her on the UCR faculty page anymore. She has some publications and books though
As a kid I was lucky enough to travel to Tanzania with my mom’s college class. We went to visit a professor at a Maasai girl’s school, but were interrupted by a celebration that was being held for wealthy foreign donors. Watching it play out from the sidelines was an uncomfortably voyeuristic experience.
On top of the harm to the local populations, I can't even say most travel is good from a selfish perspective. I did the classic travel around India and SE Asia for 6 months. I have since advised many against the experience. You are sold this idea that it will be deep and you will immerse yourself in a different culture, that it will change you for the better at some sort of fundamental level. I found this to be not the case in the slightest.
Most days I found myself wandering around, seeing temples, markets and beauty spots and then getting very drunk every evening. Every day felt like a Saturday. While this was quite fun and novel for a while, it quickly becomes repetative and vacuous. In most of these places, the tourists are pretty removed from the locals. The vast majority of people I spoke to were Europeans, Australians and North Americans. You move around so quickly and frequently that you never really get to know anyone or anywhere. You have the same conversations over and over. Its not even great for a night out, because most tourist places play generic music that will appeal to the largest number of people (I travelled in 2016, so I heard a LOT of Justin Bieber, brostep and tropical house)
I liken it to getting laid vs having a partner. Getting laid is great; not going to knock it; however, a one night stand is never going to change you like a deep and long relationship (romantic or platonic). If you really want to learn about a place and have it change you, you probably need to stay there for at least 6 months, probably a year or longer.
I agree that those seeking a deeper connection will likely not get it from brief visits. True cultural exchange and such will take far more immersion. Thanks for sharing your experience!
@@Andrewism I feel the whole of travel culture favours variety over depth and can feel like a tick box exercise. You see endless lists like "100 places to see before you die". Once you've been to a place once, you have done it and next time should be a new place. This is what happens when we view the world and experiences through a consumerist mindset.
I once spent about a month in Mexico, of which I spent about half of it on buses and trains. And I learned from the experience. I decided that when I travel, I would rather see more of fewer places. I would stay in the same place for longer and not make it a goal to cover as much territory as possible.
I feel like it takes about a week to really even know where I am. Am I staying in a real neighborhood, or a tourist zone. Staying in a tourist zone can be ok for part of a trip. . It's nice to have everything set up to meet your wants and needs. But you should at least know that is where you are, and it is not always clear at first. And then, one day, you notice that they only locals around you are the ones serving things to you and other travelers.
Of course, turning the world into a moving frat party is not a great way to learn about the world. If you spend a large part of your trip high and or drunk, you will pretty much just learn what it is like to be high and or drunk in a different climate. You are also likely to learn what it is like to be robbed, and possibly arrested, by people who speak a different language, enabling them to plan their actions against you right in front of you without you understanding them. Being alcohol and drug free makes that kind of thing much less likely to happen. It also makes your money stretch further.
Everyone wants sugar and nobody wants to eat their vegetables.
@@AlG214this!!
Be invested enough to seek an invitation, and bring the tools you need to work your art when you go. That way you can share with your hosts, and others who are made to share with you (whether they like it or not.)
Your last point about improving our own spaces so we feel less need to escape them for other people's reminds me of a bizarre contradiction I've often heard discussed in urbanist spaces. North Americans love the dense, walkable spaces with good public transit they find in Europe but oppose moves to make North American cities denser and more walkable or to improve their public transit. Obviously, the dynamics of visiting Europe are different than those of visiting poorer nations. It's just on this last point that I see an interesting connection.
I think you may have misinterpreted that people in North American (US and Canada) want more walkable cities but won’t try to make it happen. Many of us do try. But the efforts aren’t usually noticed or they are on a very small scale.
This is because it is a massive uphill battle working against NIMBYism, decades of unsustainable infrastructure development, decades of lack of infrastructure maintenance, and the never ending desire of people wanting to drive everywhere (includes places where they don’t have to). It is immensely difficult working against these forces since they are so grained into the culture.
I can personally attest that it is exhausting trying to be the change you want to see in the world.
@@MightyFineMan oh I don't deny those people exist. I'm one of them. I just also recognize there are people who love walkability abroad but oppose it at home.
@@allanjmcphersonoh ok, the wording of your initial comment was unclear to me; thanks for clarifying.
And yes, unfortunately I too have experienced people like what you described.
@@allanjmcpherson I absolutely wish we had better public transportation here in the US. It's a big reason I want to move to a city somewhere in Europe. I hate driving and feel personal vehicles are excessive, I'd much rather take public transportation, or walk.
Yes I absolutely agree with that. I live in the Midwest in a rural area, so I think it's a little different because 90% of the people around have never been to Europe, but they still would oppose public transit. There used to be trains that ran all over from town to town, now the nearest bus is like 10 miles away. I have a car and I like it, but I wouldn't use it nearly as much or might share it with a bunch of people if I could get on a train and busses.
I think one of the best media on how tourism affects locals is Lilo and Stitch. Lilo takes photos of the tourists because it's what the do to her and her sister Nani does the whole cultural servitude thing as her job. There's even an outtake that can be found on TH-cam titled "Model Citizen-Mayhem at the Beach" where Lilo tries to get rid of the tourists at the beach by telling them sirens were for tsunami warnings, in that clip one of the tourists was like "oh look, a real native". As someone from one of those island basically crippled by tourism, my heart goes out especially to Hawaii and every other country facing similar struggles.
About 30 years ago, a parent of one of my daughter's classmates told me she was taking her kid out of school for a week and flying to Mexico. "I figure I'm ~entitled~ to a vacation," she explained. For some reason what she said stuck with me. Millions of other folks in the Global North feel similarly "entitled" to do a lot of things, and here we are, in a completely effed-up world, wondering how we got here. . .
Reading Jamaica Kincaid’s “A Small Place” made me question so many things as someone who once aspired to travel extensively. I’m still sitting with a lot of those questions years later, so I’m glad you’re talking about this!
I lived in a tourist town for about 6 years growing up. The town was unrecognizable in the summers for the sheer number of bodies crammed into it. We hated the tourists for the traffic jams, trash, and noise, but most of the town’s economy was based around those 3-4 months of summer tourism…
Just shows how exploitative it all is
Who couldn't guessed that there's no ethical consumption under capitalism?
This has always messed me up. If there's no ethical consumption under capitalism, but it is impossible to live without consuming things under capitalism, then how in the fuck do you be ethical?
@@starmantheta2028 That's just it! You don't!
We all live with the miserable knowledge that our lives are a net evil (unless we actively help others and/or change legislature to help those who need help rather than those who are already rich)!
That has to be a pretty stupid statement. Let me explain why. Ethics is built on the social construct of the society. You are basically saying that what a capitalist society ethical views (NOT YOUR ETHICS THEIRS)cannot exist under capitalism. Why you would think that there is only one view on what is ethics.
Huh, found the communist
Go live in North Korea then if you hate capitalism so much
I think the main difference between a traveler and a tourist is that a tourist goes somewhere to forget about their life for a moment, a traveler goes somewhere to make sure they're gonna have something they'll never forget. A tourist is fleeing, a traveler is chasing. Maybe a little simplistic but that's just how I've always seen it.
I like this perspective. 🧐
Its a false dichotomy and often carries more than a hint of class based snobbery. When I was being a "traveller" round SE Asia and India for 6 months, I did pretty much the same stuff as I did when I've been a "tourist". Visted some museums and beauty spots, went to the beach and got really drunk most evenings. Most "travellers" I met knew only the most basic facts about the counties they vistited.
@@AlG214 If they're so much the same, then why would these two words exist so entirely separately? Sure the difference between the two words is only some matter of degree on an as yet unnamed spectrum of behavior. Feels like some people might misclassify themselves due to a lack of knowledge or motivation to understand any difference between the two terms (lumping two or more words together as being interchangeable or essentially the same thing.)
Thanks for the opportunity to ponder this further!😅
When I'm a "traveller" I go to one place for an extended time, live and work amongst the people, build relationships, and periodically jaunt out to do something "like a tourist or mere visitor would do."
When I'm a "tourist," I'm leaving normal life for a little while to treat or heal myself for a short time.
People can go on a really long trip to several places over the course of months or years living as "tourists" but calling themselves "travelers" just because they're doing it so much or so often.
You could also think of it as:
Tourist= Just looking, having fun.
Traveler= Just living the "When in Rome" life
@@BlakeLaoshi Why are there two words for "expat" and "immigrant"? I think that there are definite differences between those called travellers and tourists, it is a lot less deep than most people think, and, as stated above, the word carries at least a hint of snobbery. Travellers tend to vacation for longer than tourists, they may favour certain places or activites, but from my experience, they tend to be no more profound or interesting and no less problematic.
It’s a throwaway moment in the video, but: I hate the “fat American tourist” stock photo. Either you’re a fat person and you get the message that you’re doubly unwelcome, or you’re thin and you get to distance yourself from those “bad” tourists. The worst tourists I’ve encountered as a local and as a fellow tourist were thin rich twenty-somethings.
I’ve definitely had tourist experiences that have felt more reciprocal-usually those experiences weren’t as burdened by the time limitations that are also the cause of all those “all-inclusive” resorts. When you’re not in a rush back to work to earn money to leave again, you can approach travelling more as a mutual exchange.
Ever noticed that the bulk of stereotypes tend to pull from the poorest of that group? Both of economic class and any culture or nationality. Most rich Americans are those 20 something's with a stick up their arse and bad manners at some point. But why is it the less common (as a tourist) fat poor person likely traveling for the first and last time because they need to work to live and they saved for a decade or more to do so.
I think maybe it's just an outdated caricature of American Tourism, based in a generation that had much wider spread wealth and the price for travel was less burdensome.
Now there's only the trustfund kids because their parents probably already have properties all over anyways, and this is just a fun "finding yourself" moment to them.
Also the idea of Americans and overconsumption lends itself to the low hanging 'fat'.
Maybe the physical traits we used to stereotype aren't as present in the privileged classes, but the disregard for their indulgence is just the same.
@@chey7691I think that's just mathematical norms at work. Most are overweight poors, few are slim rich.
@@seapeajones you won't see a lot of poor people traveling the world let alone a vacation. As most poor people in America can't afford a vacation inside the country let alone traveling. Most jackass tourists are rich compared to the average and "average" Americans. But the stereotypes remain despite most average people never getting to travel once in their life outside the country.
I feel like this articulates some subconscious reservations about international travel I've had for a while; was asked recently to travel to a place I wanted to go, but found myself emotionally reluctant to commit to going; the best way I could put it was that I just wasn't ready to confront that relationship between tourist and destination yet.
would still like to go someday, but then and there, in that moment, the thought of me going, as I am rn, made me feel like a leech
I think a great reproach to travel would to maybe talking to online friends who live further away from you and visiting eachother and sharing eachofhers cultures and languages i think with online relationships travel could be greatly improved
I like this idea a lot, I had an online friend visit before and it was really nice :)
Exactly it becomes an example of ambassadorship and community
I really wanna visit one of my online friends!
Maybe I'll do it some day!
One of the things that makes me feel better if I want to travel to a certain country is if I already know a local there (either from an online space or perhaps someone I met in my own country who's from a different country) and can visit them rather than just staying at a hotel. This of course is not easy and accessible for everyone but I appreciate being guided through the host country by someone who I already have a connection with and am able to build a reciprocal relationship with from the get-go. There are many countries I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling without being invited there because else it feels exploitative, especially if I don't know a lot about the country. This is of course not to say you should seek out random people from random countries you wanna travel to and befriend them for that sole purpose. But if you happen to befriend people from different cultures where you are right now, it can be the start of a beautiful reciprocal relationship of cultural exchange (and also facilitate learning about their culture and language).
2:38 Ah Yes, Foreign Man in a Foreign Land, one of the gorgeous cultural landmarks of the Bahamas 😌
When I travel I specifically avoid resorts and try to avoid like tourist traps cuz I just see them as not too great of a thing. But also I think it's important just to remember that even if you don't mean to you're still having some sort of effect on the local environment even when you try to be the most considerate. I always try to go to local restaurants and tip well and things like that because I know that coming from like a richer nation their work is already exploited and I try to at least make up. also just like just be a good person, these people have goals and aspirations of there own.
Also don't get angry at workers if something goes wrong, it's generally not their fault, can't emphasize this enough.
As someone living in Dublin this video hit harddd lol. Our gvmnt are always threatening to knock down historical buildings and landmarks to make room for more fucking hotels -_- exhausting
Years ago, I was in a wedding on Nassau Bahamas. The taxi driver who took us to our hotel had a whole spiel providing the history of the islands. At one point, my partner and I asked for more information about one of the locations he'd mentioned and he was caught short. It became apparent that for however many thousands of tourists he'd driven from the airport, we were the first to ask follow up questions. We were already planning on doing so, but we tipped heavy that trip.
I have only ever traveled with a non-profit organization that has us perform volunteer work with local conservation and biology groups: weeding a decorative, invasive grass that has taken root among the Andes, identifying individuals in migratory sea turtle populations, replanting forests in the Scottish Highlands, and lots of trail work in a variety of places to repair the damage done by tourists. It's hard work, and fulfilling, and you get to see some stunningly beautiful locations.
What nonprofit is that? If you're comfortable sharing of course. Those conservation efforts sound pretty great, specially the turtles one
@@elpretender1357Conservation Volunteers International Program (sp?). They used to partner with REI pre-pandemic.
i like to travel just to ride the trains in the area and visit rail museums, so my idea is just to not make a mess of things, and i should be relative fine.
I think having an existing interest in the place will help in making the most of your trip.
i think i should take advantage of the Internet more to speak to locals about what to do aswell.
also remember to explore your home first it can be cheaper and more accessible. with the rise of holidaying abroad many uk seaside towns are struggling or practically dead as the old practice of getting a train and bus to the seaside for a day has reduced or died out.
all said i am dreaming of the day i get to ride the Florence Rome direttissima and i hope to do so in a polite and respectful manner.
Woofing is a reciprocal way to travel. You work in an organic farm, learn things, are sheltered and eat for free.
Personally, I try to travel by bike and train. I dont do the enviroment much damage and experience a countries scenery on a way deeper level than traveling by car. I havent found a good solution to try interacting with locals, since I know most people are nice, but I am personally very anxious. And this is only really a good solution for those, who live on continents they want to explore and are healthy enough. I personally live in europe and since it is so diverse, I enjoy exploring it. To visit asia, maybe someday I can travel there by train. But to america? I dont know.
And I understand US- citizens. The Us is diverse, but in the end, if you want to explore other countries, you basically have to fly there
Being from an island, unfortunately trains aren't an option for me, but I wish more places had them! And I wish we had more environmentally friendly ferry options as well.
@Andrewism YES! ferries mentioned!
also, it's an unfortunate trend in many places that their railways were built for colonial resource extraction and were left in such disrepair that they weren't able to be repurpoused for serving the local community before it was too late.
but for hope you need only look at the herculean effort by the Indian people in transforming their network with over 20,000km! of gauge conversion and over 90% electrification!
no matter how bad it seems there is much hope for a better future.
The us is anything but diverse lol
@@VonRibbitt Depends on type and granularity of diversity. Geographically the contiguous U.S. (not including Alaska, Hawaii, and other territories) encapsulates seven climates and is nearly the same size as Europe. The least interesting geography is probably the flat, empty, and mostly tree-less midwest but in that area we have 423 national park sites.
While a lot of people think the U.S. has little to no culture it's important to remember the living descendants of the original people of North America and their impact on it still very much exists. Native American art, music, and religion still exist and are preserved by their descendants.
Culturally the U.S. while often containing mainly immigrants from other countries has developed it's own culture. As an example Jazz grew from a mix of African folk and French Impressionist music, but is ultimately a reflection of the African-American populations of New Orleans where it originated. This process has continued with the US being a very large cultural exporter in music, film, and other media. There are plenty of dishes that got their start in the U.S., one that's commonly associated with exotic food in France is steak tartare but it was actually made in the U.S. but fell out of favor here. People from all over the globe immigrate, but mainly to larger cities. In my small home town (population 4,000) I've known immigrants from the Phillipines, Mexico, Argentina, Haiti, Germany, and two from the UK (one from Scotland the other from England).
Language wise, while our dominant language is English, you can't go to far in the U.S. without encountering Spanish in some capacity. In fact with given population statistics and growing Hispanic populations it may one day be the more common first language.
A lot of people imagine the US as complete cultural homogeny, but regionally they are plenty of differences. Between say Georgia and North Carolina, two very close states, there's quite a bit of variation. While both are broadly southern US with all the implications of that, there are nuances. For example NC puts vinegar on pulled pork barbecue where Georgia uses a ketchup base (Florida uses mustard base if I recall). The local produce is different thus what is in season and local dishes are influences. A lot of my friends from up north are disgusted by things like pear salad which is not something they eat up there. There's also accent variation, people from NC talk pretty nasally compared to other southern states, whereas the southern accent many think of is a deep texas accent. The common vernacular is also very different if you ask about certain things like what the strip of grass between a sidewalk and the road is called.
Sorry for the long reply, tldr the US is big, and full of 330 million people, don't take for granted local culture and definitely don't forget the indigenous Native Americans and their descendants. The country is not a Hollywood Anywheresville.
If somebody could set up airship tourism in the next few decades (if anyone thinks that's absurd, look up what Sergey Brin is doing right now) they could make a fortune. Call me a tinfoil hat enjoyer, but I think the hindenburg disaster set more sustainable tourism back by about 90 years.
I’m a student studying regenerative tourism and without a doubt cultural tourism is the way of the future! The goal is tourism should always be to improve the quality of life in a destination, though that has not been the case unfortunately
Not a big trip but I'll be crossing the border for a couple days in a while and I wanted to see this video. As a Greek, I've seen how tourism affects people and especially how hard it's lack shook the economy during the pandemic. But I've also experienced the negative part. Giant parts of our culture and areas aren't even "Greek" anymore, but just a huge playground for tourists. It has become fake and made up, rather than an actual place with value. There are huge "cities" only made to attract tourists and foreigners, and hotels and cities like that eat up a LOT of water and electricity that the locals need. My grandparents that live in a highly touristic area often don't even have running tap water because of the nearby hotel. It's insane. Thank you for the vid. Bravo!
I was on a study abroad this last summer to Ireland and that too is an area where the tourist indusrty employs havoc, especially in the smaller villages and towns. Theres a really massive problem of homelessness in many irish communities while village homes and bed and breakfasts stand tall. Its a whole mess
This is extremely well done Andrew. Proud to be a subscriber.
Thank you so much for taking about this, i have not watched the whole thing but I am always very self concious when I travel because its hard to really get an idea of the "impact" you have whenever you do. I will enjoy this for sure!
15:20 Even though this is about tourism Drew still finds a way to throw shade at Cities
😭😭
Cities create all of that shade for themselves! Literally and figuratively, methinks 🤔
Thanks for uploading this video, perfect timing. My family is taking me/I'm going on holidays to Fiji later this year, so I'm very glad to have seen this, so I can be better informed on the reality of tourism. Ideally I'd even be able to minimise my part in this exploitation too (hopefully, hoping for the best).
Man I knew I had good reason to feel uneasy on my trip to Jamaica. Thanks for shedding light on this.
I live in canada, and much of this is the same where I live. The rich are making it difficult to live and pushing all the people who live and working here out of our homes. They are aggressive and make the environment the same as well with bigger vehicles and more pollution in the air. They are not nice either and have zero regard for the environment around them, usually causing the fires that displace a lot of animal and human life. A lot of these people are aggressive both with their vehicles and in person to themselves and the locals. Usually, these people have a home here that is not in use year round wasting land and housing. The government is pushing this and creating another America clone. It is really gross, and it gives me little hope to succeed in my goals.
I'm Canadian too, which area is this happening in?
You literally hit every point possible with such grace and respect. Wonderful video👏🏾❤️
As someone from The Bahamas, you hit every single nail on the head on this video.
I've recently gotten married and moved to Rhode Island, in the US. Almost everyone who's met me so far asks "Why on Earth would you leave The Bahamas to come HERE???"
I explain to them simply: "No, no. You're imagining The Bahamas as the land of tropical paradise you seee in ads. It's only paradise for those who are rich. And the people you see, don't live there."
It's one of the most expensive countries to live in statistically, and the job market is tiny. Most islands in the country cannot sustain their own local economies. That's why so many Bahamians eventually leave, particularly that of the younger generation. It's a hard country to live in.
Thanks for the video, I remember the dread I felt from visiting the Bahamas there was a certain tension I just couldn’t shake off. So much luxury amidst stagnation if not outright underdevelopment.
I'm not much of a traveler, what few trips I did make were back when I was in college and were for educational purposes. I did live for several years in an area that had a lot of tourists, the easiest ones to deal with came from Japan, the worst from our own country, the U.S. I tend to do my traveling via the internet now or by visiting local woodlands within walking or biking range, I personally find towns and cities to be unattractive and stressful. I would have liked at one time to have been able to visit rural Asia or Europe just to observe the farming and gardening practices but that was always beyond my financial means and seeing as I'm somewhat of a hermit I don't think that I would have handled the boat trip very well. Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful week.
I'm not American, but your experience of difficulty with American tourists certainly rings true with my own experience with them as well
I love traveling but I hate being a tourist.
I try to behave as a guest, to be mindful of customs and my surroundings, to learn at least some basic phrases, to be open towards locals yet not expecting that they return the favor.
In short, I try behave like a decent human being. Just like I try at home. And of course, one can make mistakes. I sure did... But I try to learn from them. Why do so many people refuse to look beyond themselves for just a second. Then again, we can extend that question to nearly every problem we humans experience on a personal and grander scale.
Honestly, it makes me freeze up. I do not want to contribute to all the bad. I guess that too can be extended to many things.
10:54 that fucking scared me omg but great video
Wonderfully produced video. Thanks for sharing your insightful observations
I take offense to the characterization of US tourists as being the worst. It's clearly us Brits that are the worst behaved. We've gone on a lot of drunken rampages in other people's countries, we deserve the title.
I hope you enjoyed my hidden Gibraltar joke then😉
@@Andrewism Oooooh yeaaah!
honestly things like this even happen in some places of the u.s. too. this isn't something only americans need to be aware of, but ALL tourists/travelers, no matter where you're from or where you're going. please be mindful and respectful of the places you're visiting and the people who live there, so that we can all share our cultures and experiences with each other in more meaningful, memorable ways.
You and your channel are a genius! Philosophy, statistics, real world scenarios. You're the complete package of an intelligent youtube channel.
organisations like workaway and couchsurfing allow us to travel with a give and take model, they're focused on cultural exchanges. couchsurfing is built on the basis that if you are staying with hosts around the world, you will offer your home up to guests as well. i've done it and its an amazing way to get to know a country in a much more genuine deep way
Thank you **SO** much for this! Very much needed!
From my experience growing up in a beach town, it is worth noting that tourism jobs are often seasonal. Once October arrives, there are almost no jobs left. Even working at Walmart becomes difficult to get. I often had to wait until March came before I had a job again, despite a pay so low that traveling outside my city was a luxury.
This video is filled with beautiful wisdom and I am so glad your channel was recommended to me. I have subscribed so I can learn more. Thank you!!
In Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord talks about "vacation" as representing a place that exists outside of time and production, a place that the wealthy can visit to disconnect from the realities of their exploiting while laborers dream of vacation as a short break from our brutal lives. I think for him, and I see you touching on this as well, the vacations represent this exotic "other" that we can always visit for "a taste of paradise" so that we don't challenge the hegemonic forces where we live. The whole time, the vacation economy wreaks havoc on the locals, who become a parody of their own culture for watching observers. In Everything For Everyone by M.E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi, they propose the alternative of the "sojourn" where people travel as part of a process of connecting with far away communities, working there, sharing knowledge, building connections. I think that provides a worthwhile alternative. Because as you're noticing, vacations are not sustainable for economies, people, or our planet.
Thank you! Trying to explain my hesitation to be a tourist to friends.
This was a fantastic video, I've subscribed
I lived in the south of Mexico making art for almost two years, and became friends with a local artist. We would often hang out at his self proclaimed “tourist trap” art taqueria and often talked about this. And he was very clear: don’t stop coming, don’t stop buying and don’t stop pestering the local authorities to improve the infrastructure and conditions for everybody. Engage with local issues and try to support. The authorities are more than happy to collect taxes and revenues, but rarely fed it back into the strained local community. His advice for me to pass on was to always eat and shop as locally as it goes, and that something looking small and dingy might be a good thing because the service level would be higher, the prices lower and 100% of the profit would go to the family running it, rather than seeking comfort at resorts owned by international corporations.
Thank you for existing Andrewism🙏🏽
I moved from Georgia in the US to Yantai, China for college then worked there for 4 years. i studied and practiced a ton and became fluent in Mandarin, making cross cultural freinds was incredible. I found a great jou in connecting when my language skills were subpar was through cooking. I would cook for my friends and show them the foods i grew up with and they would return the favor and show me incredible local things. Now, back in America with the benefit of a great crew of friends around the world i usually just go visit a friend when i want to see a new place in the world. I think learnign a language and the cultural exchange assocsiated helped me open my mind, empathasize with people more, and forced me to rethink so many things i took for granted. The cost was not small menatlly, im struggling to find community and dealing with the culture shock of coming back to the US after 8 years in China. Id still recommend learning another language and going to school in another country but dont underestimate the culture shock.
thank you so much for sharing this knowledge and perspective
One small thing that helps me... I like to carry gifts from my home to offer folks that in the place I'm visiting. It creates an easy way to make a connection locally, and evokes reciprocity, even though it's mostly symbolic. I also think traveling slower is better for me. Less rush, less transactional interactions, more human connection. Repeat interaction with the same locals adds opportunities for meaningful connection. I'm not saying these are adequate steps, just directionally helpful. Appreciate the way you raised this issue and left the topic open. One other thing... the use of international photos in social media to signal wealth and specialness is painful. Be aware of the FOMO and jealousy effects of advertising your travel. Consider sharing the learnings and the human parts in a blog, and keep the super epic photos for your own memories.
anotha brilliant video!
long(ish) story short: "East Africa" with a capital E and A is a european exonym that's political, whereas eastern Afrika with a lower case e is purely geographical.
longer story: i am a luo from kenya, and would like to point out something subtle yet important: when u mention our region, u say "East Africa". i prefer to write eastern Afrika, as the descriptors North Africa, West Africa, and u guessed it, South Africa, plus further afield North Wales, North America etc. are all exonyms, which are legacies of the activities of eurocentricist imperialists.
❤
I rest easy knowing I'm too poor to be a tourist at all.
super thoughtful video, thank you!
Wow the first 2:30 of this video could have been some other creators entire video. You are very good at communicating, thank you for putting this out. It is something I have been thinking about for a long time, but I did not understand it at this depth
Love this. Thanks for sharing
I’ve lived in Hawaii for quite a few years, Oahu specifically. Living there during my formative years was very eye opening for me, as it was an island of great contradiction.
The great luster of Honolulu equally matched by the excessive poverty in its alleys and outskirts.
It was a focal point between 4 continents for tourism, You felt like you could meet anyone from any culture. Yet growing up in the Hawaiian curriculum, the history of the indigenous culture and its genocide creates a baffling atmosphere of anti-culture.
Everyone goes to Hawaii to get away and see something new, But the metropolitan scene is so thoroughly colonized and molded around tourism that it’s more or less tailored to the tourists palate instead of being a genuine expression of culture. Hiltons and strip malls as far as the eye can see. You’d think it was just like any other American town if it weren’t for the Kitsche flower laurels everywhere.
Being a White guy living there never really helped to put my mind at ease either. Of course I always sought to tread lightly and learn about the culture, and be respectful to others, etc. but you also can’t shake the feeling that you could never understand, and that you are a symptom of a larger pain.
I’ve lived on Oahu for some time as well. Tbh, I’d rather tourists keep to themselves in tourist traps in Waikiki and such than inevitably ruin the lesser known areas of the island
@@trawrtster6097 most definitely. As someone who’s always been dragged to the same famous tourist attraction and hiking spots REPEATEDLY every time we had a guest over, I got sick of it really quickly, and I did not like the touristy crowded atmospheres. Honestly had more fun just walking along the ponds or gazing up at the mountains, walking along the small beach I loved next to.
wow its crazy that this dropped while im on holiday
Great vid. Subscribed right away
Thank you for this video. It has really made me examine by travel habits. Although I try to travel ethically, eat locally, stay locally and experience a culture, I realize I can always do better. Thank you
Great video. Love your content!
I mostly went on holidays to Europe, and I never really liked staying on a resort. I'm more of a home-body by nature, but I love reading about other places more than anything else. I didn't really understand the full ethical issues of tourism (beside the usual issues with gentrification and so on). This was a beautifully written video; I learned a lot, thank you very much
i think about this a lot tbh. i’m a usamerican, never left the country and unsure that i’d ever even have the resources to do so in the future but even if i could i wonder what the logistics of ethical travel would even entail. i have no desire to just see europe (a place i could potentially be “less worried” about harming) bc the chance to travel would absolutely be to try and expand my own western perspective. but the means of travel are so grossly predatory its like…how lmao. theres no perfect answer for it and ive kind of just settled on focusing on learning and contributing what i can from where i am, and building relationships across borders and cultures. if the opportunity comes, i’ll work through it then. thanks for the video, they’re always so poignant and a good time to reflect. :)
I appreciate your perspective and the information of your videos! Your message deserves to reach a larger audience, and I think you'd draw more engagement if you showed your face in your videos.
Either way, I've been a longer time subscriber and will continue to watch your videos! Keep up the good work :D
Venice no longer exists as a real place; tourism has moved every local to Mestre, and all the local artisanal fare has largely been supplanted under the pressure of massive, unending tourist waves.
I could never travel but ended up doing travel and tourism in college. EVERY essay I did was about my rage at unethical tourism. It was so funny being so angry when everyone else was talking about rivers in Venice
Thank you for this video. I've been thinking about making one about realisations I have after traveling related to socioeconomic realities.
I could listen to you all day.
The benefit of chronic digestive issues is that travel gut feels both inevitable and just another bad butt day to deal with.
Thank you so much for this video
Thank you Andrew, free the whole Caribbean from tourist colonization.
Personal mente soy un guerrero pero tu labor también es importante gracias desde Puerto Rico
My tourism as an adult has mostly been local trips and flights home to the Midwest, USA. I come from a tourist town there so I already kind of know what's annoying to experience as one of the locals. I didn't understand the draw as a local because all of the pleasant months out of the year I was working overtime and the only reprieve was the cold, dark unemployed months of the winter. If you were productive in the summer, you wouldn't be reduced to ramen and peanut butter sammiches in the winter. Now that I go back with a few nickels to rub together and a couple weeks of summer off, I totally get why they come. I hope in the future we come to more equitable system.
Tourism does not require air travel.
You forgot to mention the main reason people travel: to show it off on social media
What is ethical tourism? Where is ethical tourism? Adventurers and explorers? People are going to be tourists. I want to get out of the city. Isn't it better to attempt to be ethical? Speaking idealistically, I would like to cooperate with anyone who wants to start an ethical tourist company. I like this channel, but I sometimes struggle with the theoretical vs the practical/realistic aspects of what is being said. Are there sources for learning more about ethical tourism?
I love how you ended this!
This is such a great video.